


turn my blue heart to red

by DragonEyez



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, COFFEE SHOP AUS ARE MY BRAND AND IM BACK BABY, Fluff, Other, half these are based on real life events #bless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 14:18:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13905825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonEyez/pseuds/DragonEyez
Summary: can mako help it if their new favorite regular also happens to be unfairly cute? it's nothisfault. at all.





	turn my blue heart to red

**Author's Note:**

> title from [bad case of loving you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQdaSpEeBvQ) by robert palmer

Mako looked out over the floor, noticing that even the late night crowd had started to peter off around midnight; either headed to bed or to the library, which was open 24 hours. He took another sip of some concoction or other that he’d made early, which Audy had given a disdainful look and declared was “more sugar than even you should drink.” He wrinkled his nose as he realized it was disgustingly cold, then shrugged and threw some ice in it. This was just going to be his life now. He’d accepted it. He took and picture and sent it to Aria with like a bazillion sad face emojis. Audy gave him judgemental look from where they were sitting on the counter and Mako stuck his tongue out at them. He was a mature adult and if he wanted to pretend like his caffeine-sugar was drinkable at 1 am, he would.

“Um, excuse me?” They both snapped their heads up to see a customer standing at the register. The first thing Mako noticed was that they looked incredibly tired. The second was that they were incredibly cute.

Mako leapt to action, smile wide across his face. “Hey there! What can I get for you?”

“I just need,” they waved a hand at the menu vaguely. “Can you do just black coffee?”

“Sure thing! And what’s the name for that?” He didn’t need to write a name on the cup, it wasn’t like they were bursting with customers. But it was company policy and who was Mako to skirt company policy? Or at least that’s what he would say when Audy inevitably told Aria and they both ganged up on him. He waited, Sharpie poised, while Mystery Customer tried to process what he asked.

“Sorry, it’s Cass. Sorry. I’m... it’s been a long day.”

“Don’t even worry about it, I totally get it.” He threw them a wink as he turned around to the half-full carafe behind him and filled Cass’ cup. When he handed it to them, they looked at him like he was holding the Grail or the answers to a midterm or something. “So what’s got you here at this ungodly hour?” Mako asked, leaning against the counter.

Cass took a deep sip of their coffee, face practically melting in relief at the caffeine. “Bio assignment,” they said with a grimace.

“Must be one hell of an assignment to have you up like this.”

“Well it’s due at the beginning of class tomorrow and my partner flaked on me, so I have to be. I need this class to graduate so…”

“Well, in that case, next coffee is on the house.”

Audy cleared their throat loudly, and Mako rolled his eyes. “Next coffee is on me.”  
“Oh!” They blinked in surprise. “Thank you.”

“Of course! Can’t have the student body dying in here. We couldn’t afford the lawsuit.” 

Cass stared at him like they expected him to laugh like it was a joke, and their face made an interesting series of expressions as they realized it wasn’t. They cleared their throat and nodded to him. “Alright well, I should get back to it then.”

“Godspeed pilgrim.”

They laughed softly at him and moved back to their seat, where Mako could see they had spread out several books and notebooks around a laptop. When he realized they were truly buried in their work again and wouldn’t be looking back at him, he got back to “work” with a sigh. He checked the time on his phone (1:15AM) and then frowned as he saw a text alert.

3 Non-familial Friends Relaxing In A Warm Pit

Automated Dynamo: Mako has made a fool of himself

Joie To The World: lol what’d he do now

kazoo kid: H E Y

He looked up at Audy with a betrayed expression, they gazed back with an uncaring stare, fingers poised to start typing again.

Automated Dynamo: I believe he was “flirting”

kazoo kid: I WAS BEING C O N S I D E R A T E

Automated Dynamo: He offered a customer free coffee and fished for a  
name despite the fact that we are practically empty and therefore had no need to write one on the cup

kazoo kid: ITS COMPANY POLICY AUDY ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME FIRED  
aria audy is trying to get me fired can you believe this theyre such a #fake friend :\ 

Joie To The World: idk mako it sounds like you were flirting

Automated Dynamo: they are an upperclassmen

Joie To The World: oooooooooooooooooooooooooh mako!!!

kazoo kid: ur both awful and i h8 u actually >:/

Joie To The World: (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:·ﾟ✧ 

kazoo kid: & fite

kazoo kid: wait fuk

kazoo kid: (ง’̀-‘́)ง 

Automated Dynamo: Aria shouldn’t you be sleeping?

Joie To The World: ArIa ShOuLdN’t YoU bE sLeEpInG?

kazoo kid: go to bed aria

Joie To The World: you all are fake friends

Joie To The World: DON’T

kazoo kid: yall

kazoo kid: y’aint

Automated Dynamo: I believe it would be y’ain’t

kazoo kid: thank you audy my close good friend

kazoo kid: @aria y’ain’t

Joie To The World: i hate you and i’m going to bed now

Automated Dynamo: I wish you sucrose-infused passive hallucinations

Joie To The World: lol thanks <3

Mako silently flipped off Audy before tucking his phone away. “You’re the _worst_.” He hissed at them.

“I was under the impression that I am a close good friend.” They raised an eyebrow at him, staring him down until he turned away in an overdramatic huff.  
So what if he was flirting? It was fine. And besides, it wasn’t like Cass would be in here all the time. With a sigh, Mako started cleaning up.

\---

“They are a regular.” Audy gleefully informed Mako a week later.

Mako halfheartedly threw his rag at his friend who caught it easily. “Yeah thanks I noticed.”

“If it makes you feel better, I noticed that they only stay until we close on the nights when you work.”

He did his best to squelch the feeling of happiness that burst in his chest when he heard that. Cass had certainly been in the other four days Mako had worked, but it didn’t mean anything. They’d developed a routine of sorts: Cass would work until they were nearly falling asleep, Mako would make their coffee, and they’d have some back and forth banter until he annoyed Cass into remembering that they were supposed to be studying. Sometimes Mako would slide them the cup with an over-emphasized conspiratorial wink, and sometimes Cass (and Audy) would bully him into letting them pay for it.

“Mako.”

Mako pointedly did _not_ respond to Audy. He was being a diligent worker. Diligently scrubbing at the non-existent spot on the stainless steel counter. 

“Mako.”

“ _Mako_.”

“ ** _Mako_**.”

“W h a t Audy?”

“Aria and I have been talking.”

Mako groaned. “Look, just because Aria is in her honeymoon phase with Jacqui right now doesn’t mean everyone else needs to be in a relationship too. I mean look at us! We’re perfectly content by ourselves.”

“Aria and I have been talking. She has a class with Cassander. She would like to add them to the groupchat.”

“Wait what?!”

“Um, sorry to interrupt but-” Audy and Mako both spun around to see Cass standing awkwardly at the register. 

“Hey buddy!” Mako said brightly at the same time as Audy said, “We would like to induct you into our friend circle.”

Cass blinked at them in tired surprise. “What?”

“We want to add you to our groupchat.”

“Ummm...that’s nice and all but I don’t really know you and I’m a customer and-”

“See exactly, Audy!” Mako pointed emphatically at Cass. “My point exactly.”

Audy barreled onward, ignoring both of them. “You have class with our good friend Aria, and she has indicated that you are friendly with each other. Mako and I also enjoy your company. Ergo, we would like to induct you into our groupchat.”

“But not if you don’t want to!” Mako tacked on. 

“That’s…a lot? Um. Hmmm. Let me, think about it?”

“Of course. Please let Aria know your decision. Mako will get you your coffee now.” Audy went into the back room, leaving Mako to deal with a very bewildered Cass.

“I’m sorry about that? I had nothing to do with any of that. I totally understand if you never want to come back here again and sue us and-” He was babbling now, he knew, but his mind was running a mile a minute and his mouth wasn’t that far behind.

“Hey Mako, it’s okay.” Cass said with a laugh. “It just surprised me is all. So how do you know Aria?”

“You mean Aria Joie, popstar extraordinaire? I leaked her last album.” He puffed his chest out with pride. Hacking JoyPark Records had been no easy feat, and it was some of his best work if he did say so himself.

“Oh, she’s that Aria?” 

Mako stared at them, eyebrows raised in shock. “You- you thought she just happened to be some rando who looked just like Aria with her same name?”

Cass shrugged. “Thought maybe she was just an overzealous fan. But you leaked her album? And she was _fine_ with it?”

“She actually,” he scratched the back of his head. “She asked me to, funny enough. For reasons I’m legally restrained from disclosing.”

“You live an interesting life.”

“What about you? Any sordid details in your past?”

“Not that I want to talk about. I’m, how did you say it? I’m legally restrained from disclosing that information at this time.”

Mako was worried he’d pushed them too much, but Cass didn’t seem offended by the prying, so he figured it was fine. Probably.

“Here’s that coffee, Doc. On the me and don’t try to argue with me about it this time!”

“‘M not a doctor yet.”

“But you will be.”

“We’ll see. Thanks, Mako.”

“Yeah. Yeah, no problem.”

The next day, Mako’s phone buzzed in his pocket, waking him from his very calculated half-nap in Calc.

3 Non-familial Friends Relaxing In A Warm Pit

Flounder: Hello! Please excuse the nickname, my sibling set it and I  
don’t kow how to fix it.

Flounder: *know

kazoo kid: lol 

kazoo kid: seems pretty

kazoo kid: _fishy_

Flounder: Please do not.  
“Mako get off your phone or I swear!”

“Sorry Maryland.” He slipped his phone back into his pocket with a wide grin.

“If I didn’t like you…” She trailed off with a fond shake of her head.

“Good thing I’m your favorite then right?”

“I don’t have favorites.”

“Mmmhhhmm sure.”

\---

For once, Mako found himself on the other side of the counter at Hell’o’clock. He’d called out, citing “this big ass coding project that is actually trying to kill me” and Orth (who was pretty chill about this sort of stuff) gave him the night off in exchange for him picking up one of Cene’s daytime shifts. So there he was, sitting at a table, staring dead-eyed at a screen, surrounded by empty cups that he’d probably remember to throw away soon. Probably. It was barely midnight, but he’d been sitting in the same position for the last six hours. 

“‘This isn’t a project you can leave off for the last minute.’” He muttered to himself. “Mcfrickin watch me, Twelve.” He saw a pop-up ping in the corner of his screen.

3 Non-familial Friends Relaxing In A Warm Pit

Flounder: Has anyone heard from Mako recently? Audy said he called out  
and I haven’t seen him in like, 3 days?

kazoo kid: heyyy

Flounder: How are you? You dropped off the face of the earth?

kazoo kid: lol im lightheaded and slightly suspicious that as soon as  
i stand i may fall over? 

kazoo kid: lowkey might be deydrated or smth?

kazoo kid: been livin off soup and ice cream doctos eat ur heart out

Flounder: Jesus Mako please drink some water and go to sleep.

Flounder: Did you eat today? Other than soup and ice cream I mean.  
kazoo kid: i had some sour punch straws 

kazoo kid: and a powerade

Flounder: ...................................

kazoo kid: electrolytes

Flounder: Do you have anything you can eat quickly and then go to sleep?

kazoo kid: IM CODING

Flounder: MAKO THIS IS MORE IMPORTSN!

Flounder: *IMPORTANT

kazoo kid: i also had water to day?

kazoo kid: no its really not

Flounder: Ok well you can still eat and code at the same time.

kazoo kid: gtg *kickflips away*

Mako closed the chat window and went back to working, barely even registering when Audy brought by another cup of coffee for him when he started to nod off briefly. He had (he checked his clock) 24 hours to finish. If he focused he could finish by noon if he skipped Calc and whatever his 10:20 class was. Everything was fine he was fine and life was not a meaningless string of random letters and symbols. He laid his head down on the table.

“Okay it’s break time.” Cass’ disembodied voice came from somewhere above him. “Doctor’s orders.”

“You’re not a doctor.” He mumbled.

“But I will be. And you need some time away from a screen. I brought you dinner. Or... a late-night snack? And- oh jeez did you drink all these?”

“Yes he has and he’s going to explode.” Audy piped up from behind the counter.”

“Shut up traitor!”

“I don’t think I will.”

Mako heard Cass walk away and set something down and then he felt two strong hands hook under his armpits and drag him out of the chair. 

“Nooooooo.” He protested, but he allowed himself to be dragged away.

Cass deposited him on the couch and pulled a tupperware container and bottle of water out of a drawstring bag. “Nothing’s open at this hour expect the shit pizza place so I brought you some of my leftovers and water. Drink and eat this and then I will leave you alone.”

Opening the lid cautiously, Mako made a face. “No offence re you sure you brought the right box because these look like they’ve gone bad.”

Cass rolled their eyes. “The noodles are supposed to be black just eat your damn spaghetti.”

He ate with mild grumbling, which tapered off as he realized just how good it was, and subsequently, how hungry he had been. He was starting to feel mildly better too. Maybe a break _had_ been in order. Not that he would ever admit it. Cass dropped the now five empty cups into the trash can next to the couch and sat down next to him.

“Thanks for the food.” Mako said around a mouthful. 

“Yeah no problem. I couldn’t just let yo- uh, I mean what kind of friend would I be if I let any of you slowly kill your self like that. You need to take better care of yourself, you know.”

He made dismissive noise and leaned against Cass. If he was more awake, he’d probably be mortified, as it was, he’d been awake 52 hours and Cass was unbelievably comfortable.

“What are you-“

“Shhh. Break time, you said so.”

“But what about your-“

“Shhh. Wake me up in like an hour.”

“O-okay?”

When he woke up, he noticed Cass was also asleep and Audy was looking at them with a mischievous look in their eyes. 

“What?” He asked, suddenly wary. 

“You two will make a very photogenic couple.”

With a series of indignant splutters, he reached for his phone and groaned when he saw 17 message notifications. 16 of them were Aria yelling in response to a picture Audy had sent in the groupchat of Mako snuggled into Cass’ side as their head was leaned into his. It _was_ a nice picture. He maneuvered himself out from under Cass and flipped Audy off, although that was more on principle than out of any malice. And if he made the picture his new lock screen before starting his computer back up, we’ll nobody else had to know did they?

—-

Audy was out of commission with some bug that was going around, and Mako was b o r e d. Cass hadn’t come in yet and Aria was on a date with Jacqui so her phone was off and basically there was nothing to do. It was a Tuesday, so even most of the students weren’t in the coffee shop yet, or maybe they wouldn’t be at all. He had no work to do and no actual work to do either

kazoo kid: im dyyyyyyyiiiiiiing

Flounder: If you’re having a medical emergency, please hang up and  
call 911 immediately.

kazoo kid: hardee har har

kazoo kid: u suck

Joie To The World: *succ

kazoo kid: succc

Flounder: I don’t know what that means but since it’s you two I’ll  
assume it’s something inappropriate.

Joie To The World: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) mako wants the succ

kazoo kid: I H A T E

Joie To The World: (◡‿◡✿)

kazoo kid: welcome back from ur date btw

Joie To The World: the movie was Pacha.jpg

“I can’t believe Orth pays you to be a jackass.”

“Hello to you too sunshine. You’re late.”

“Stop pouting. I’m not late. Or obligated to study here. There’s a 24-hour library with a coffee shop inside it that I could go to instead.”

“But you won’t because you like me too much to deprive yourself of my presence.”

“Keep telling yourself that. In reality I only come in here because of Audy. And since they’re not here tonight I guess I can just-“

“Oh whatever. Here I’ve already got your coffee.”

Cass raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You already made my coffee?”

Mako’s face burned and he ducked his head slightly. “Shut up and take it before I throw it away.”

“Well I’m not going to turn down free caffeine. It’s dead in here tonight.” 

He snorted. “You’re telling me. Now go do your nerd stuff or whatever.”

“Bossy.”

Cass curled up in an armchair with their textbook and got to work. Occasionally, they would read Mako a bit of trivia they thought was interesting or throw in their own commentary. Mako thought that their sardonic comments were way more interesting than whatever was actually in the book. They had a good rhythm going, and then Mako heard the song that came on. A shit-eating grin spread over his face and he lept over the counter, startling Cass.

“Come on it’s our song!”

“Wait what?!” They frantically marked their page as Mako impatiently pulled at their hands.

“Come dance with me!”

“Why?!”

“‘ _Doctor doctor gimme the news_ ,’” Mako crooned. “‘ _I got a bad case of lovin’ you!_ ’”

Mako pulled Cass onto their feet and pushed their arms back and forth in imitation of dancing as they made a displeased face. The more Mako tried, the more Cass reluctantly joined in, until they were half-heartedly shuffling their feet in time to Mako’s wild (and extremely bad) dancing. By the end of the song, they even looked like they were enjoying themself, spinning Mako until he was dizzy. He let out a breathless chuckle and looked up at Cass, trying not to draw attention to the fact that their hands were still interconnected. Looking back at him, Cass brushed his knuckles with their lips and quirked a smile. 

“Thanks for the dance good sir.”

Mako’s face turned cherry red, and he could pick out Cass’ flush under their dark skin as well. Suddenly they backed up from him.

“I’m sorry I’ve got to- I’ll see you later Mako I’m sorry I-” They all but ran out the door, leaving Mako alone in the middle of the floor. He collapsed into the armchair with a heavy sigh. 

“I’m such a fucking _idiot_.” He groaned.

And then he realized that Cass’ bag and book were still there. They probably didn’t even _realize_. He put his head in his hands. 

“Uuuuugggggghhhhh.”

\---

“Knock knock it’s your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!” Mako stood on the front porch of an apartment that seemed way too nice to be near a college campus, let alone have a college student actually live there. He released the intercom button after a moment, rocking back and forth on his feet. He’d pried Cass’ address out of Aria with a few well-placed bribes (a movie marathon and her favorite candy) and some weedling (read: groveling), which had led to him impatiently standing on the stoop of Cass’ apartment at 7am with their backpack and a cup of coffee that would serve as a peace offering.

He didn’t have to wait long; he was buzzed in with a tired groan. Mako was never more thankful for elevators than in the moment he realized Cass lived on the fifth floor. The receptionist didn’t give him more than a cursory glare before returning to their magazine, so he happily skipped to the elevator doors and waited _even more_ until it arrived. 

Standing outside of apartment 5-13, though, Mako began to have second thoughts. Maybe he should just ding-dong-ditch the bag and coffee and avoid Cass forever. Move to Iceland, become a goatheard, grow a sick beard. Yeah, he could grow a kick-ass beard. Wouldn’t have to worry about touching up his roots if he only saw goats. Maybe he could become a secret hand-to-hand combat genius as a goatheard, like in the movies. Kick some rowdy no-good teens’ butts with his walking stick.

As he lost himself in his fantasy of becoming a goat hermit, the door swang open, revealing an extremely disheveled Cass. Their eyes widened as they took him in, and they wordlessly moved to the side, allowing him in. Mako nervously crossed the threshold, taking in the apartment as the door was shut behind him. It was sparse and barely looked like a college student lived there. The furniture was nice and comfy looking, but there wasn’t a lot of that either. It did seem extremely Cass though, in a way he never would have thought about before that moment. But he didn’t come to critique Cass’ living situation. He had a purpose.

“Look-” “Hey-”

“Sorry, you first.” Cass gestured shyly.

“I uh, I brought your stuff back. You forgot it last night. And also coffee, since I came over so early. Figured it was the least I could do.” He held both of the aforementioned items out to Cass, who took them carefully.

“Thank you.”

“It was no biggie.”

“Look, Mako.” Cass set the backpack down near the door and stepped a little closer. “I owe you an apology for last night.”

“What?”

“I shouldn’t have kissed your hand like that. It was completely out of left field and disrespectful of your boundaries and-”

“I didn’t mind it.” Mako managed to squeak out. He could _feel_ his face melting off his bones. He wished the earth would swallow him whole. Cass surprisingly looked the same way.

“Wait what?”

“IsaidIdidn’tmindyoukissingmyhand.”

“Oh. Well then.”

“LookIreallylikeyouandIthinkyou’resuperprettyandIwanttokissyouandallthatmushyshit.”

“Say that again I don’t think I caught all that.”

“I said I’m gay for you, asshole!”

“ _Oh_.”

Slowly, Cass moved past Mako to set the coffee down on an end-table and moved back in front of Mako, taking both his hands in theirs’.

“Mako?”

“Yeah?” He forced himself to look up at Cass, and was surprised to find that they looked _nervous_.

“I like you too.”

Mako.exe has stopped functioning.

He threw himself at Cass, burying his face in their chest. “Holy shit I didn’t ever think I’d hear you say that.”

“What can I say, you make a mean cup of coffee.”

“Just because we’re dating doesn’t mean I’m not going to make you pay, just so you know. Orth is gonna skin me alive soon.”

He could feel Cass laugh, deep in their chest. They slotted their head over hs, tightening the embrace, and Mako was comforted by just how _right_ it felt. He sighed happily, leaning into the hug more.

“ _I’m_ not the one giving out free coffees to all the hot pre-meds rolling through.”  
“Hey, it worked out, didn’t it?”

“Can’t argue with that.”

**Author's Note:**

> i was the soup and ice cream person and that was a real conversation between me and @merthurlin
> 
> as always, comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated. i can be found [here](https://theunacceptablepylades.tumblr.com/) on tumblr or [@thedaedpoets](https://twitter.com/thedaedpoets) on twitter. and if you like what i write, consider buying me a [coffee](https://ko-fi.com/queerlydeparted)


End file.
